GPSolo Magazine - December 2004

ABA TECHSHOW 2005 PreviewWhy You Need to Be in Chicago Next Spring

By Natalie R. Thornwell

Imagine Chicago in early spring. What could make you go there? Well next year it’s not going to be just the shopping or city attractions. Here are ten reasons why you can’t miss ABA TECHSHOW 2005, to be held at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers in Chicago, Illinois, from March 31 to April 2, 2005.

1) Be a part of the world’s premiere legal technology conference. The ABA TECHSHOW is now in its 19th year and is still the number-one legal technology conference in the world.

2) Choose from more than 50 educational sessions presented by the country’s top legal technologists. TECHSHOW’s three days are packed with programs across several tracks focusing on specific areas of legal technology and geared to lawyers from various tech-backgrounds—from the solo practitioner to the head of IT for a leading international mega-firm. Tracks for 2005 will include: General Practice and Solo; Tools and Tips; e-Discovery; Applications; Internet; Tech University; Litigation; Malpractice; Advanced IT; and Hot Topics.

3) Visit more than 100 exhibitors and see firsthand the technology tools and services that you can use in your law office. With a laundry list of the top vendors in the legal industry, you will be hard pressed not to have an opportunity to meet face to face with the vendor whom you have wanted to ask a specific question about a product or service. You will also be able to learn about new technology tools and services being offered to lawyers. The conference’s schedule is designed to accommodate quality time for your visit to the exhibit area.

4) Receive continuing legal education credit as you learn about legal technology and related issues in modern law practice. Top-notch educational sessions will take place at TECHSHOW, with credit attainable for every state in the United States.

5) Explore and discuss the future of technology as it will likely impact the practice of law. By providing access to leaders in both IT and law, you can expect to see and hear what developments are becoming a reality in the legal industry. TECHSHOW provides several venues for futuristic and fantasy legal office situations. Keynote presentations from world leaders in legal technology often predict what will be happening and what challenges will be present in the law office of the future.

6 ) Lead and participate in newly developed Technology Roundtables. These small-group sessions will focus on the implementation and feasibility of leading legal technologies. The small-group format will allow you a greater opportunity to learn about the practical aspects of technology in your law practice. Facilitators will guide you and other roundtable participants in discussions about the technology issues you are facing and reveal some real-world solutions to your concerns.

7) Participate in the Technology Training Institute and learn directly from the vendors how to use their software applications. Bring your laptop computers to the conference so you will be able to participate in hands-on, vendor-led training. The rubber meets the road as you put into practice the technology you just learned about for your law firm. This opportunity is perfect for helping your practice analyze its technological needs.

8) Network with some of the world’s leading technologists and other attorneys interested in law office technology. People from all over the world will be attending TECHSHOW 2005, and it will be virtually impossible not to meet someone who shares an interest in some issue or concern you are facing in your own law firm. The relationships that form at TECHSHOW can last a lifetime. That’s one reason many people won’t miss a single year attending the conference.

9) Obtain invaluable resources to further the technology efforts in your practice when you return home. From actual technology planning and forecasting to access to the world’s best consultants, you will be able to move your law office technology to the next level after attending TECHSHOW.

10) Start an annual trend as thousands of others have done. Visit the TECHSHOW website at www.techshow.com and register for next year’s conference. At this very helpful site, you can also sign up for a monthly e-update to keep you abreast of new information and the ongoing plans for the conference.

Now you can’t say you don’t have a reason to attend. Don’t get left behind! Don’t miss ABA TECHSHOW 2005.

Natalie R. Thornwell is director of the State Bar of Georgia’s Law Practice Management Program.She can be reached at natalie@gabar.org.